Straw-stacker.



PATEN'ITED FEB. 26, 1907.

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h Aw A. J. GRITTON. STRAW STAGKER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22.1906.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 00., wxsumcrv n c.

No. 845,078. 'PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907. v A J GRITTON STRAW STAUKER. APPLIOATIION FILED SEPT. 22.1906.

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BY ATZ'0RNEM WITNESSES:

UNITED *%TATE% PATENT @FFIQE.

STRAW-STACKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907'.

Application filed September 22, 1906. Serial No. 835,772.

To a. whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALrnEUs J. GRrr'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Heron Lake, in the county of Jackson and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Straw Stackers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to straw-stackers of the endless-belt-conveyer type; and-the main object is to provide a straw-stacker with a conveyer which may be set to a steeper pitch than the conveyers herebefore used and may also be exposed to strong winds in any direetion and still move the straw steadily along and not allow it to roll back or be blown nor thrown away from the belt conveying it.

Another object is to provide improved means for oscillating the conveyer from side to side for purpose of enlarging horizontally the straw-stacks.

Furthermore, the general object is to improve various parts and features in general, and thereby increase the efficiency of said class of straw-stackers.

These objects I attain by the novel construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is right-hand side elevation of my improved straw-stacker connected with the part of a threshing-machine known as the separator. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section on the line a a of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Figs. 3 and 4 are crosssections of the conveyer tube and belt with different modifications. Fig. 5 is a partly-sectional top or plan view of the stacker with hopper removed and conveyor tube, pulleys, and belts therein in section. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line b b in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 0 c in Fig. 5 and a portion of the hopper in section. Fig. 8 is a right-hand side elevation of the oscillating table supporting theconveyertube and some of the parts mounted thereon, the shaft 22 in Fig. 5 being intersected at the left of pulley 38. The iron frame 12. in which the table oscillates, is shown in longitudinal central section, and one of the lugs depending from the table is intersected on the line (i d in Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section on the line 0 e in Figs. 5 and 8, showing only the oscillating table and parts supported by it. Fig. 10 is a left-hand side elevation of the stacker secured to the framework of a separator from which it is to carry the straw away. Fig. 11 is atop view look ing downward into the hopper and upon the part of the separator delivering straw into said hopper of the stacker, also a portion of the conveyertube and its mechanism is shown. Fig. 12 is an enlarged cross-section of the conveyer-belt and a pair of conveyor hooks or fingers secured thereon. Fig. 13 is a side view, and Fig. 14 is a top view, of Fig. 12. Fig. 15 is an enlarged view of the clutch mechanism shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numorals, 1 is the framework, and 2 and 2 are the shoes, of the separator. To the lower part of the rear end of the separator-frame I secure by bolts 8 and braces 4 (see Fig- 10) a wooden frame, which is the main support ing-frame of the stacker and consists in the present instance of four longitudinal timbers 5, two transverse timbers 6 and 6 the latter with a truss-rod 7 to help stiffen the middle of the frame. Also the iron braces 8 and transverse bars 9 and 10 belong to the frame.

Upon the wooden frame is secured by bolts 11 an iron bed or frame 12, which in a circular recess 13 (see Fig. 8) supports the circular flange 14 of the turn-table 15, which is held in said recess by a ring 16, secured upon the frame by screws or bolts 17. The bridgebars 18 19 may be cast integral with the table or secured thereto by bolts, as at 18 in Fig. 8.

In the following description the terms front and rear are used to indicate the inlet and discharge ends of the machine, respectively, the same as threshermenusesaid terms about the threshers.

As best shown in Figs. 5 and 8, the table 15 is a ring with several parallel downwardlybulged bridge-bars 18 and 19, of which 19 may be straight and single bars, as indicated in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, but are preferably bulged downward, so as to give more free access to the tumbler-shaft 20, crossing them, while the bars 18, which may also bea single'bar,

support the bearing 21, in which the shaft 22 is journaled, and has its outer end (see Fig. 9) journaled in a bearing 23, formed at the lower end of the depending lug or bracket 24, which may be cast integral with or bolted to the table. To the right in Fig. 9 is best shown a similar bracket 24*, only it is with out the journal-bearin 23. The shaft 22 is rotated by the main drive-pulley 25, which is driven by a belt 26 from the thresher or separator, and the shaft 27 journaled to the main frame and turning the tumbler-shaft 20, whose knuokled joints 28 and 29 and sliding oint 30 allow the table to oscillate. The hopper 31 and conveyer-tube 33, extending therefrom, are carried by two frame-arms 34, supported by the table, as will presently be fully described. In the upper ends of said arms is mounted to revolve on or with a shaft 35 a pulley 36, over which is taken the endless conveyer-belt 37, driven by the pulley 38, fixed on the shaft 22. Said belt is provided with claws or fingers 39, by which to carry the straw up the tube and discharge it to the rear thereof. Above the main conveyerbelt is an auxiliary short conveyerbelt 40 with fingers 39". This belt is arranged in the rear part of the hopper 31, where it is stretched over two pulleys 41 42, mounted to revolve in an elongated frame 43, whose rear end is provided with two sleeves 44 45, journaled in the sides of the conveyer-tube 33 or hopper part thereof and forming the journals for the shaft 46, which drives the pulley 42 and is driven by a pulley 47, belt 48, and a pulley 49. The latter pulley is secured on a shaft 50, journaled in a sleeve 51, which extends through the left side frame-arm 34 (see Fig. 9) and is secured to the arm by screws 52 through its collar 53. On the inner end of said shaft 50 is fixed a gear-wheel 54, driven by a larger gearwheel 55, secured on the shaft 22. The front end of the frame 43 is thus adapted to be swung to and from the main conveyer-belt, and thus assist in gathering and starting the straw in such light or heavy charges or stream as it may come. The height of the pulley 41 from the main conveyer-belt is controlled by an arm 56, fixed on the sleeve 45 and having a pin 57 adapted to be let into any of the holes 58 in a sector 59, fixed upon one side of the hopper or adjacent part of the tube. The table 12 is formed with arms 60, carrying a toothed sector 61, engaged by a pinion 62, which oscillates the section, and thereby the table and the conveyer-tube, so as to spread the stack. How said pinion is operated and oscillated will now be described.

As best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the pinion 62 is formed with a wearing-collar 63, resting upon the frame-bar 9, while the shaft 64, driving the pinion, is journaled in said framebar and below the latter has affixed to it a collar 65, supportin a worm-gear 66, having a sleeve 67 to steaty it on the shaft. Said worm-gear is oscillated by a worm-screw 68 on a shaft 69, journaled in the main frame and carrying a coupling member 70, sliding on a featherkey 71 and adapted to engage alternately with clutch-teeth of either one of the two mitergears 72, which revolve on the shaft and are given reverse direction of motion by means of an intermediate idlerwheel 73, mounted on a stump-shaft 74 in a bracket -7 5.

As best shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the bracket 75 supports pivotally on a pintle 76 two U- shaped levers 77 and 78, of which 77 is provided with slots 79 for the trunnions 80 of a SO collar 81, engaging in an annular recess in the coupling member 7 0, so as to move the latter when the lever 77 is thrown in either direction by the expanding coil-spring 82, which encircles the guiding-rod 83, pivoted at 84 to the short lever 77 and sliding in a hole in a rod 85, rocking in the larger lever 78. The latter lever is pivotally connected by a rod 86 to a horizontally-swinging arm 87, pivoted at 88 to the frame and having its rearward end thrown from side to side by two pins 89 and 89 which are movable into any of the holes 90 in the sector 61, so that by moving the pins closer together the oscillating motion of the stacker may be reduced. 91 is a guide to prevent accidental rising of the arm 87 and rod 86. This explains the automatic oscillation of the table and conveyer-tube when pow er is transmitted to the shaft 69 by the pulleys 92 93 belt 94, and shaft 27.

For the purpose of stopping the oscillation of the stacker when so desired I provide the following means, (best shown in Fig. 6:) On the shaft 64 slides, on a feather-key 97, a clutch member 98, adapted to engage clutchteeth 99 of the worm-wheel 66. The clutch member is thrown into and out of such. engagement by a fork 100, which is fixedon a rock-shaft 101, ournaled in bearings 102 and provided with a rocker-arm 103, from which extends upwardly a push-piece 104, engaging a wing 105 of a hook-rod 106, whose hook 107 may engage any of the holes 90 in the sector 61, so as to hold the table still when the fork 100 holds the clutch member 98 downward into idle position, and when'the clutch is in active or engaged position the push-rod 104 will automatically disengage the hook 107 from the sector 61, so that the latter may oscillate without breaking the hook. The hook-bar 106 is pivoted at 108 to swing vertically and at 109 to swinghorizontally into a direction away from the sector. The rockerarm 103 is provided with a handle 110, by which it is swung either into an upwardly or downwardly inclined position, whereby it .holds the clutch member 98 either fully engaged or fully disengaged. In either of said of ring 81 in the clutch, by which the oscilla- 133, engaging the downwardly-curved edges 134 of the hopper, and the upper edge of the canvas may be secured to the separator by rings 135, dropped upon headed pegs 136, as in Fig. 1, or preferably, as in Fig. 10, the rings .may be placed on a bail 137, pivoted, as at 138, to both sides of the separator, and then the bail is held at different elevations, according to the elevation of the conveyer-tube, by a cord or chain 139, passing over sheaves 140 and adjustably secured by having a ring 141, movable to any ofthe several pegs 142 on the separator. The front edge of the canvas if not integral with the canvas 130 may be secured thereto or to the separator-frame by eyelets placed on buttons or studs 143.

In Figs. 12, 13, and 14 is shown my preferred way of securing hooks or fingers to the conveyer-belts. In said views it will be seen that a piece of wire 144 is bent at obtuse angles 145 to form two arms 146, lying in the same plane with each other and with the wire bar 144, thus forming together a bow adapted to be secured upon the belt, while the ends of the two arms are bent at about right angles away from the belt to form two fingers 39, whose free ends are slightly curved away from the straw moved by them, so as to drop the straw so much easier when it leaves the conveyor. 148 is a sheet-metal plate bent at three edges to fold inwardly over the parts 144 and 146 of the wire; After the wire is thus secured in the plate the latter is secured to the belt by bolts 149, passed through the belt, the plate, and the flaps 150 of the latter, whereby the fingers are held very firmly to the belt.

To insure a full understanding of the use of the construction 115 to 120 in Figs. 3 and 9, it may be further stated that the rack and pinion preferably form the supporting-joint of the arms 34 above and not on the shaft 22, and this higher position of the joint would cause the gear 54 to press against the gear 55 when the arms swing back 'or forth beyond a vertical position above gear 55. Hence the straight form of the rack is used to com pensate for such falling of gear 54, and thus avoid pressure of said gear upon the lower one 55.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A straw-stacker comprising a conveyerbelt running with one part upwardly at an in- In Fig. 11 is shown a heavy canvas 130, cline, a thin tube encircling said part of the stiffened by light cleats 131 and extending belt, and a skeleton frame extending along from the lower shoe 2 from which it con l the tube to stiffen and support it, said tube veys chaff and short straw into the hopper. and frame having one or more transverse This convas may be an independent piece or joints for folding up the tube during transan integral part of the main canvas 132, portation. which extends about the hopper and guides 2. In a strawstacker, the combination the straw into the latter from the separator. with a conveying-tube adapted to be ad- Said canvas has near its lower edge hooks i justed to different inclines, of a pulley at positions the arm is held by an expanding coil-spring 111, encircling a rod 112, pivoted to the rocker-arm and sliding in a rocking eyebolt 113, which guides the rod, resists the spring, and by meeting a nut 114 on the rod prevents the fork 100 from pushing too hard upward the clutch member, and thereby cause undue wear on the fork or on a ring (not shown) which may be used between the fork and the clutch member, on the principle tion is produced.

Turning now again to the stacker or conveyer-tube, it will be seen in Figs. 8 and 9 that its supporting-frame arms 34 have their lower ends provided each with a cylindrical lateral projection 115, having at its lower side cogs 1.16, engaging cogs 117 of a horizontal rack formed in the lower side of a horizontally-elongated recess 118, one in the bracket 24 and the other in bracket 24 The upper side of said recess holds the projection or pinion 115 always in gear with the rack, and a bolt 119, moving in a slot 120, helps to hold the pinion in the recess. For the advantage of this construction see the last clause of the specification.

The conveyer-tube is provided with two joints 121 and 122, (see Fig. 1,) whereby it may be folded into either the position 123 or 124, as may be desired. Said joints are held in normal position by locking-rods 125, in sorted in overlapping eye-lugs 126. hen the tube is made of very light sheet metal, it is supported in a skeleton frame 127, on which the joints and the lugs 126 are then formed. In Figs. 1 and 2 the tube is shown as being of cylindrical form; but it is obvious that I may also make it of any other form -as, for instance, in the modification Fig. 3, where the tube is of four-cornered section and the belt has three rows of fingers 39 and the sides of the tube may be secured together by angle-irons 128, or in Fig. 4, where the sides are riveted together in the manner shown and the belt is in two strands with two rows of fingers in each or, what is the same, two belts are used. In said views Figs 3 and 4 the tube is heavy enough to be without the frame 127, and said frame may also be dispensed with if a cylindrical tube is made of sufficiently thick sheet metal to not need the frame. In Fig. 1, 129 represents any suitable means for holding the stacker-tube at any desired incline.

IIO

each end thereof, an endless conveyer-belt stretched over said pulleys and passing upward inside the tube and downward outside the tube, and a shaft in the lower pulley for driving it and the belt; said belt having hooks or fingers adapted to convey the straw; an elongated frame pivoted to swing to and from the lower part if the main conveyorbelt, two pulleys mounted in said swinging frame, an auxiliary comparatively short conveyer-belt passed over said pulleys and provided with fingers, means for tilting and holding the said frame at different inclines to the main convcyer belt, and means for operating the auxiliary belt from the shaft driving the I main conveyor-belt.

3. A straw-stacker having a conveyer-belt with fingers thereon for moving the straw, said fingers being formed in pairs one finger at each end of a single piece ofwire, the middle of the wire being bent to a U-shaped bow standing at about right angles to the fingers, a metallic plate between said bow and the belt and having three of its edges bent inward so as to embrace the loop and both arms of the U, and project inside of it, and bolts passed through the belt and said plate for securing it to the belt.

4. In a straw stacker, the con'ibination' with a frame adapted to be fixed to the sep arator, an oscillatory table mounted therein, an inclined straw-conveying elevator moun.t ed on the table and having an endless conveyer-belt, a toothed sector secured on the table, a vertical shaft journaled in the frame, a pinion fixed on the shaft and engaging the sector, a wor1n-wheel loose on the shaft, a clutch by which to couple the worm-wheel to the shaft when so desired, a worm-screw engaging the worm-gear, a shaft journaled to the table and a pulley thereon driving the endless belt, a main shaft journaled in the fixed frame, a pulley fixed thereon and adapted to be driven by a belt from the separator, a flexible or knuckle-joint shaft connecting the main shaft with the shaft in the table, whereby the table is peri'nit-ted to oscillate, a drive-pulley on the main shaft and a driven pulley on the worm-screw or its shaft, a belt connecting said two pulleys, a clutch mechanism on the shaft of the worm-screw for reversing alternately the rotatory motion the same, a toothed sector provided on the table, a gear mechanism. engaging the sector to oscillate the table, said sector having a series of holes, a hook pivoted to the frame and adapted to engage either of the holes to hold the table and conveyor in certain positions, a clutch adapted to establish operative connection between the gear driving the sector and the shaft driving the conveyorbelt, a handle throwing said clutch and a spring holding the handle when the clutch is in idle and inoperative position, and means extending from. the handle whereby the hook is disengaged from the holes in the sector when the clutch is in a position to cause oscillation of the sector.

6. A straw-stacker having a horizontallyoscillating table with openings through it and adjacent the openings downwardly-projecting lugs with lateral horizontally-elongated recesses having cogs in their lower sides, a conveyer-tube mounted on said ta ble by having arms extending through the table and provided with lateral pinions inserted in the recesses and engaging the cogs therein, and means for holding the tube more or less inclined.

7. A straw-stacker having a horizontallyoscillating table with openings through it and adjacent the openings downwardly-projecting lugs with lateral horizontally-elongated cavities or recesses having cogs in their lower sides, a conveyertube mounted on said table by having arms extending through the table and provided with lateral pinions inserted in the recesses and engaging the cogs therein, and means for holding the tube more or less inclined; said cavities having in their bottoms horizontal slots, bolts through said slots, and throughthe centers of the pinions, for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination with a grain-separator, of a strawstacker arranged in position to convey the straw from the separator, a hopper and conveyer-belt in the stacker, a canvas stiffened with cleats and extending from the lower shoe of the separator and forming a guide for the chaff and short straw to the hopper.

9. A straw-stacker comprising a base frame, a conveyertube having at its lower end frame-arms pivotally mounted in the frame to admit changing of the incline of the tube, a main and an auxiliary conveyerbelt working in the tube, a horizontal main shaft journaled in the frame, a gearwheel fixed thereon and also a pulley engaging and driving themain conveyor-belt, a short shaft j ournaled in one of the frame-arms of the tube, a gear-wheel fixed thereon and meshing with the gear on the main shaft, also a pulley on the short shaft for transmitting power to the auxiliary conveyer- ITS gears to mesh properly also when the incline of the tube is changed. [0

In testimony whereof I a'HiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

belt; said frame having above the main shaft two horizontally elongated recesses with rack-bars in their lower sides, and the framearrns of the tube having partly-toothed pinions inserted in the recesses and meshing 'ALPHEUS J. GRITTON.

with the racks therein, whereby the pivot- Witnesses:

joints between the tube and the frame is J. W. YOUNG, formed in a manner allowing the said two I C. PETERSON. 

